This article by NisonCo President Evan Nison originally appeared in Forbes and appears here with permission.
Brands need to employ the latest strategies to generate sales and accrue leads by staying ahead of the search engine optimization (SEO) curve. One such way to optimize your brand is by considering the power of the voice to enhance user experience (UX).
Voice-to-text technology is hands-free and ready for anyone to use. A strong SEO strategy can enhance overall functionality and brand presence with voice-to-text options while also helping to increase accessibility for disabled users. The world is becoming increasingly digital, and it’s vital to know how to best reach target audiences. Read on to learn more about what you can gain by incorporating voice-to-text into SEO practices to elevate your customer user experience.
1. Elevate your long-tail keywords.
The concept of voice search SEO hinges on increased conversationality, meaning it can help to capitalize on long-tail keywords. With smart speakers like Alexa and voice assistants like Siri, when you ask a question, it is plugged into a search engine. But even though a query can populate an array of results, there’s only one response you’ll hear. It’s critical to integrate long-tail keywords into your strategy to drive your SEO rankings by answering key customer questions.
For example, if you are a plant-based restaurant local to Austin, add long-tail keywords to answer surging questions such as: “Where can I find a good vegan burger in Austin?” or “What is the best vegan food in Austin, Texas?” Homing in on these keywords and adding them to your strategy can help your voice-to-text search results soar. Remember to feature the word “I” or “me” in your long-tail keyword strategy. Your searchers will often address themselves, and incorporating these simple pronouns can help to rank higher.
2. Feature local SEO and GPS search.
Voice searches are often location-oriented, making local SEO a fundamental component of your voice search SEO strategy. Various industries, like cannabis and solar energy, rely on physical businesses to operate. When devising your voice-to-text SEO strategy, consider locally oriented search queries such as: “Where can I find dispensaries near me?” or “What is the best solar company in New Jersey?” Both industries are highly location-dependent for business due to factors such as state sustainability initiatives and brick-and-mortar retail locales.
Furthermore, people searching for local businesses are usually doing so on their smartphones. More than 56% of those employing voice search SEO for local businesses used their mobile device as their preferred search method. With more people turning to mobile devices to search on a local level, it’s critical for brands to pay attention and target their audience more effectively. With consumers employing local search, they’ll also often need to utilize directional tools to help them reach businesses nearby. It is imperative that brands use features such as Google My Business to put themselves on the map, increase brand visibility and assist customers in spotting them with ease.
3. Factor in a mobile world perspective.
Local SEO isn’t the only place mobile search is on the rise. We are living in an increasingly mobile world. Mobile searches are skyrocketing and voice-to-text mobile searches aren’t far behind. According to recent data, nearly 60% of all searches are carried out on mobile devices. What’s more, mobile voice search trends are increasing too, with over 55% of survey respondents indicating a preference to use voice-to-text to ask questions on their smart devices. With these numbers, it’s vital to take mobile into account to ensure customers are being reached where they can most often be found — on their smartphones and smart devices.
4. Pay attention to search query context.
Google is continually updating itself to better predict search queries, including voice searches. As touched upon earlier, voice searches are typically more conversational in nature. Search engines are taking this into consideration and appropriately applying context.
For example, if customers are inquiring about where to find locally grown food, it may serve to answer that initial question, but also to think of potential follow-up questions to answer as well.
5. Create concise answers to FAQs.
Employing voice-to-text SEO for search implies you want increased brand visibility. Write out your FAQ content in an easy-to-digest format. This can be as simple as providing one brief sentence that gives customers exactly what they are looking for. Not only can this improve the odds that your content is found, but it can also enhance your chances of being found as a rich snippet. Simplify the answers that your customers are asking, and they’ll be led to more information about the product or service you offer.
This also helps you flesh out the context in a way that helps to bolster your UX. While shaping your answers, consider how your audience may ask a given question and match your content accordingly. Each brand serves a specific niche, meaning consumers will operate in different fashions. To create a more approachable and targeted user experience, match the voice in your user interface to the language and terms your consumers use.
6. Focus on schema markup.
As search becomes conversational, it’s critical to pay attention to schema markup or structured data. These features enable search engines to further understand your website in detail. Schema markup permits the creation of rich snippets, which allows your content to be featured directly on Google from your site. According to Semrush, 60% of all voice searches returned a Featured Snippet result as its answer. Implementing technical SEO features such as schema markup directly into voice-to-text SEO will strengthen your overall strategy in a way that serves your customers and your brand, no matter your industry.
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Voice SEO is on the rise and becoming increasingly critical for brands online. Elevate your brand’s visibility in search engines by incorporating voice-to-text — not only to boost your SEO but also your users’ overarching experience. Consumers appreciate the convenience of voice-to-text accessibility, and making your brand easy to find online will drive plenty of targeted customer traffic.
Connect with NisonCo’s experienced optimization team today by clicking here.
